About the Author

Kristen Michaelis is a passionate advocate for REAL FOOD -- food that's sustainable, organic, local, and traditionally-prepared according to the wisdom of our ancestors. While she adores hats & happy skirts, nothing inspires her quite like geeking out over nutrition & sustainable agriculture. Nutrition educator & author extraordinaire, she's also a rebel with a cause who enjoys playing in the rain, a good bottle of Caol Ila scotch, curling up with a page-turning book, sunbathing on her hammock, and watching her three children grow into young adults.

Ferment Your Own Country Wine

Find yourself with an overabundance of fruit and want to make a fun drink for your guests? Country wine is a general term for wine made from fruit except for grapes. Wow your guests with your wine-making skills!

Rock the Casbah Kombucha

Blood oranges are a wonderful complement to kombucha. They hold a special place in the hearts of citrus lovers everywhere because of their natural sweetness!

5 Unexpected Benefits of Massage Therapy

Getting a massage shouldn’t be a luxury. Because of the obvious benefits of massage therapy, I believe that massages should be part of routine life — for absolutely everyone.

Unconstitutional Michigan Order Still Enforced: Kills Pet Pigs

Last year, a judge ruled the state of Michigan’s Invasive Species Order was unconstitutional, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is still enforcing the order, sometimes killing pet pigs.

Natural Sunscreen Ingredients You Can Put On Your Skin

Looking for safe sunscreens made with natural ingredients? Want a downloadable safe ingredient cheat sheet to help you make wise buying decisions?

JUNE GIVEAWAY: Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 plus 5 e-books

This month, I’m giving away a Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 to one of you. The Kindle Fire is worth $379, and I’ll also grab you 5 e-books or movies of your choice (up to $50)!

Gelatin: Sip Away Wrinkles & Cellulite

Gelatin promotes the production of collagen — the lovely protein that provides the building block of our skin cells — thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles, stretch marks, and cellulite.

Olive Oil: 35 Wickedly Cool Uses For Your Home & Body

Olive oil isn’t just for making salad dressings, folks. It has historically been used in a myriad of surprising and often overlooked ways.

Senate Plays Dirty Against Artisan Soap Makers

Congress is going to ask the FDA to crack down on artisan soap makers. These craftsmen and women usually make soap at home and sell it at farmer’s markets, online, or in local natural food outlets.

My Preferred Non-Toxic Mattress: Intellibed

For the past 6 months, I’ve been sleeping on a non-toxic mattress that revolutionized my family’s sleep. It’s an IntelliBED. The non-toxic mattress is now the only bed I recommend to friends and loved ones.